Battery connection

Abstract

A computer system comprising processing circuitry is presented. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain a request indicating that an electromechanical connector arranged to selectively connect at least one battery pack to a load is to be actuated and, responsive to the request, cause control of a transistor device configured to control an electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector to prevent electrical connection between the electromechanical connector and the load and/or the at least one battery pack. The processing circuitry is further configured to, after controlling the transistor device, cause actuation of the electromechanical connector in accordance with the request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to:
 obtain a request indicating that an electromechanical connector arranged to selectively connect at least one battery pack to a load is to be actuated;   responsive to the request, cause control of a transistor device configured to control an electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector to prevent electrical connection between the electromechanical connector and the load and/or the at least one battery pack; and   after controlling the transistor device, cause actuation of the electromechanical connector in accordance with the request.   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is a request to actuate the electromechanical connector by closing the electromechanical connector and the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 obtain an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed, and   responsive to the indication, control the transistor device to permit electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector.   
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 obtain an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed by sensing a voltage level above a voltage threshold between the transistor device and the electromechanical connector.   
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 obtain a load current between the at least one battery pack and the load,   responsive to the load current being above a first predetermined threshold during a first predetermined time, control the transistor device to prevent electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector.   
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the transistor device is arranged between the electromechanical connector and the at least one battery pack, forming part of the at least one battery pack. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the transistor device is arranged between the electromechanical connector and the load, forming part of the load. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is a request to actuate the electromechanical connector by closing the electromechanical connector and the processing circuitry is further configured to: obtain an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed, and responsive to the indication, control the transistor device to permit electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector; wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: obtain an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed by sensing a voltage level above a voltage threshold between the transistor device and the electromechanical connector; wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: obtain a load current between the at least one battery pack and the load, responsive to the load current being above a first predetermined threshold during a first predetermined time, control the transistor device to prevent electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector; wherein the transistor device is arranged between the electromechanical connector and the at least one battery pack, forming part of the at least one battery pack; and wherein the battery pack is a propulsion battery pack for a vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . A battery pack configured to be connected to a load via an electromechanical connector, the battery pack comprising the computer system of  claim 1 , at least one battery cell and a transistor device arranged to control an electrical connection between the load and the at least one battery cell. 
     
     
         9 . The battery pack of  claim 8 , wherein the transistor device is configured as normally open. 
     
     
         10 . The battery pack of  claim 9 , wherein the transistor device is configured to prevent electrical connection between the load and the at least one battery cell unless an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed is obtained. 
     
     
         11 . An energy storage system configured to be connected to a load via an electromechanical connector, the energy storage system comprising:
 at least one battery pack,   a transistor device configured to control an electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector, and   the computer system of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         12 . An energy storage system including the battery pack of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle comprising the energy storage system of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         14 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 obtaining, by processing circuitry of a computer system, a request indicating that an electromechanical connector arranged to selectively connect at least one battery pack to a load is to be actuated;   responsive to the request, cause control of, by processing circuitry of the computer system, a transistor device configured to control an electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector to prevent electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector; and   after controlling the transistor device, causing actuation, by processing circuitry of the computer system, of the electromechanical connector in accordance with the request.   
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the request is a request to actuate the electromechanical connector by closing the electromechanical connector and the method further comprises:
 obtaining, by processing circuitry of the computer system, an indication of the electromechanical connector being closed, and   responsive to the indication, controlling, by processing circuitry of the computer system, the transistor device to permit electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector.   
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented method of  claim 14 , further comprising: obtaining, by processing circuitry of the computer system, a load current between the at least one battery pack and the load, determining, by processing circuitry of the computer system, that to the load current being above a first predetermined threshold during a first predetermined time; and controlling, by processing circuitry of the computer system, the transistor device to prevent electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by processing circuitry, the computer implemented method of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the computer implemented method of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         19 . A sequential control circuitry configured to: obtain a request indicating that an electromechanical connector arranged to selectively connect at least one battery pack to a load is to be actuated; and responsive to the request, cause control of a transistor device configured to control an electrical connection between the load, the at least one battery pack and the electromechanical connector to prevent electrical connection between the electromechanical connector and the load and/or the at least one battery pack. 
     
     
         20 . The sequential control circuitry of  claim 19 , wherein the request is a request to actuate the electromechanical connector by opening the electromechanical connector.